October 9, 2026 | The Dallas Morning News
People have the right to know the messaging and about candidates, like what they’re gonna vote on, or what they value, or who they are. If they have to use AI technology to parody someone else, it doesn’t really tell me much about them.
Michelle Nelson
Professor and Head of the Charles H. Sandage Department of AdvertisingGenerative AI is playing a bigger role in political campaigns than ever, particularly among Republicans at the top of the Texas ballot, who have used it to attack their opponents. Their Democratic rivals largely have steered clear.
Candidates now have an easy way to insert challengers into scenes that never happened, turning them into characters in exaggerated attacks that would once have been difficult or expensive to produce.
But research suggests there may be a cost. AI-generated ads can backfire, leaving voters with a less favorable view of the candidates they’re meant to benefit.
“Anybody can make good-looking ads with AI,” said Michelle Nelson, professor and head of the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “We all have the tools. Even I can make a pretty good-looking ad with AI.”
However, Nelson advised against any use of AI in political advertising.
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